Webelos Outdoor Leader Skill

[clydesdale115]

Scouting friends -

I'm soon to be a Webelos leader but I'm having a hard time getting set-up to take the Outdoor Leader Skills class for Webelos leaders. It's not scheduled anytime in the near future (we'll be Webelos in June) in our district, I've checked outside the district, even a neighboring council. I'm going to keep working on it, but...

Here's my question: Will it really help me? What will I learn there? I have already taken BALOO training, Safe Swim, Safety Afloat (and YP of course). But I do want to learn as much as I can about putting the "outing" into "Scouting"! Our boys are SO excited about camping as a DEN - yahoo! - so we want to make this a great experience for them. I fully expect all will crossover to Boy Scouts - they are really into this Scouting stuff :-)

Suggestions?

clydesdale115

 

[WDleader]

The training will give you ideas in camping with your WEBELOS den and give you specific ideas on how to complete all of the outdoor related WEBELOS badges. I took it when I was a WEBELOS leader and learned a lot and enjoyed the course. It will also give you ideas on how to do an effective campfire program, and ideas for meal planning.

 

Robert L. DeWitt

ASM Troop 12

Chickasaw District

Georgia Carolina Council

Augusta, Ga

I used to be a good Ole Bear SR-691

[vmpost]

What about talking to your Training Chair and seeing if he/she will offer it one-on-one? DE? If you don't much care about earning the Webelos knot, ask if you can borrow the syllabus to read through...it's not the same as experiencing training, but can give you a lot of good ideas to get started. If you want the knot, maybe you could complete the training with a group later. It's worth a try...

[johndaigler]

Try other Units to scrounge up more participants. Your district/council may see more value and work out the details.

 

Offer to take a starring role -- or a supportive role -- whichever will help the training group put this together.

[clydesdale115]

Thanks everyone. I'm still stiking out in reaching our new District Trainer - but he's up to his eyeballs in District PWD right now, so I can understand! We are District Exec-less right now (a revolving door position, by the looks of things), so that avenue is out. I'm still waiting to hear back from other districts and another council. I'll definitely contact some area Packs to drum up more interest - I like that idea. Plus I don't mind taking a starring or supportive role, if that will help the cause!

 

I'm going to keep at it though. I really enjoy taking these classes. I like hearing from someone who has been there, done that. I suspect BALOO training offered similar information to the WOLT (or OWL or whatever they're calling it these days), but I especially want food ideas - responsibilities in the cook tent, meal ideas for Webelos, etc.

 

Thank you all - I like getting these shots in the arm!

clydesdale115

 

[vmpost]

BALOO is geared more towards the paperwork side & "how to plan" for first-timers. The Webelos Outdoor training is more hands-on on outdoor activities and is based on a little more experience. There is a section on outdoor cooking, Fire Starting, First Aid, nature hikes, and ideas for the 4 outdoors WAB's (Webelos Activity Badges) Geology, Naturalist, Outdoorsman, and Forester. In our district, we also include a section on Pioneering (Knot-Tying) and Orienteering (Compasses). Some topics covered may overlap Baloo, but it really is a way different training. I hope you have the opportunity to try take the course.

[clydesdale115]

vmpost - that's just what I'm looking for! I agree that BALOO was not very hands-on, although I enjoyed it. Webelos Outdoor Leader training sounds like just what I need. I even emailed the Georgia-Carolina Council (thanks for the tip WDleader) to see if it's on their schedule again anytime soon. (3 hours away is better than nothing!) I'm trying to get started early enough to have the training under my belt before we crossover. Hopefully when our very new district trainer finishes the PWD in a couple of weeks, he'll have more time to set something up. I know I could get several other Bear and Webelos leaders to join me in our area, so I hope it works out.

 

Another thread talked about having more training courses offered on-line. Certainly not the same as "being there" but at least it would be "something."

clydesdale115

[CNYScouter]

Have you concidered taking SM training/Outdoor Leader skils?

I have taken both of these and even though the SM training is for the Scout level you will get more than enough information that you can use for your WEBELOS.

 

I had the same problem when I was a WEBELOS leader in that the Outdoor training was canceled the first year and not offered the 2nd year.

Some of the things covered in BALOO are repeated in the OWL training.

I ended up taking after my son had crossed over to the Troop as I was still helping with the Pack and no one else was willing to go.

(This message has been edited by CNYScouter)

[Lisabob]

I'm all for doing more online training and I think BALOO includes a lot of material that would be suitable for online delivery. OLW (or WOLS or whatever your current name for it is in your council) is not a very good candidate for online delivery though. There's too much hands on content that doesn't lend itself to simulated online learning.

 

Clydesdale, if you are unable to get set up for WOLS, have you considered taking hte boy scout OLS? Most councils around here offer OLS in the spring and fall, while WOLS is often only available in the fall.

 

There are some differences (OLS is typically 2 nights while WOLS is 1 night; WOLS is geared specifically toward the webelos program and includes specific ideas for several of those webelos activity pins, while OLS teaches skills geared toward tenderfoot-1st class; of course WOLS participants are likely to be cub leaders while OLS will draw mostly troop leaders). But many of the underlying skills are the same and as a former Webelos den leader I can tell you that the foundation you build with your webelos will have a direct impact on how easy the boys find it to handle many of the tenderfoot-1st class skill requirements too. And you can certainly adapt the OLS material to a webelos-appropriate level.

 

The two big disadvantages to doing OLS instead of WOLS are:

1. you need WOLS (not OLS) to get that WDL knot, and

2. you need to do more work yourself to apply the OLS directly to the webelos activity pins.

 

But as long as you talk w/ the OLS course director a little bit about your situation in advance, I'm confident that you could make it work just as well.

 

Lisa'bob